Internal-combustion engine



April 20, 1948. D. w, SCHAEFFER 2,439,867

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION EN GINE Filed 001:. 8, i942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1-INVENTOR v Dg ALD W. SQHAEFFER ATTORNEYS April 20, 1948. D. w. SCHAEFFERINTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE INVENTOR U) W. 3(HAEFFER sofia 2 no I swumATTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,439,867INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Donald W. Schacifer, Dayton, Ohio ApplicationOctober 8, 1942, Serial No. 461,281

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to internal combustion engines.

An object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion enginewherein the power producing elements all move in a straightreciprocating motion and in substantial alignment with one another.

Another object of the invention is to produce an engine that avoids theuse of eccentric rotating parts when changing reciprocating motion torotary motion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustionengine that is constructed and arranged with opposed power producingelements.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an internalcombustion engine having opposed power producing elements that areconstructed and arranged around a common drive shaft.

It is another objector the invention to provide an internal combustionengine that is constructed and arranged with the power producingelements disposed in opposed relationship and adapted for straightreciprocatory motion for producing rotary motion by means of a,concentrically rotating element that is rotated by a member that ismoved through a reciprocating path coaxial with the path ofreciprocation of the power producing elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustionengine that may have any desired ratio between the piston stroke and thenumber of drive revolutions produced by the driven member.

Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustionengine wherein the full expanding force of the expanded gas is utilized.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the drawingsand the'following description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an internal combustionengine embodying principles of this invention, and is taken along lineI--I of Fig.2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the engine taken alongline 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one of the drive members carried by theengine connecting rod.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the drive member shown inFig. 3, and is taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the drive trackand the driving members to show their relationship when at one end ofthe drive track in the driven member of the engine.

Fig. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the drive track and'drivemembers showing the manher in. which'the members pass over trackcrossmgs.

Fig. 7 is a development of the drive track of the engine shown in Fig. 1wherein the driven member is imparted with four revolutions for eachcomplete explosion cycle of the four-cycle engine. f

Fig. 8 is a development of the cam track for the engine of thisinvention wherein the driven cylinder is imparted with two revolutionsfor each complete explosion cycle of the engine.

This invention relates to an internal combustion engine which may beeither of the four-cycle or two-cycle type. The invention is alsoadaptable for application upon a gas engine or a Diesel engine. Theprinciple of the invention therefore is not limited to a particular typeof engine and the description hereinafter set forth is not to beconstrued in limiting the features of the invention to a particularengine when those features are described in co-operation with aparticular form of engine.

In Figs. 1 and 2 there is disclosed a gasoline engine of the fourcycletype wherein a plurality of power units ID are disposed radially aboutthe center drive shaft I I. Each of the power units I0 is providedwitharotatable member I2 that has a gear I3 integral therewith. Thegears I3 onthe rotatable members I2 are in meshing relationship with agear I 4 secured to the drive shaft II. Rotation of the members I2thereby produces rotation of the drive shaft II for suitably driving anydevice. Each of the power units I0 consists of a pair of cylinders I5and I5a that are disposed in axial alignment and are carried within asuitable frame structure I6. Each of the cylinders I5 receives a pistonI 1 respectively whereby the power chambers I8 and I8a are provided inthe cylinders I5 and I5 a. The cylinders I5 and I5a are provided withthe usual heads I9 and I9a respectively for closing the end of thecylinder and for receiving the spark plugsZIl and 20a. The heads I9 andI9a are provided with inlet valves 2| and 2 la and with outlet valves 22and 22a respectively.

The pistons I! and Na are interconnected by means of a connecting rod 23that rigidly connects the pistons in spaced relationship with respect toone another and causes them to reciprocate inunison.

The rotatable member I2 is disposed around the connecting rod 23 andpositioned between the inner ends 24 and 24a of the cylinders l and l5arespectively. The member !2 is suitably bearinged in the ends 24 and 24aby means of the ball bearing members 25 and 25a.

From Fig. 1 it may thus be seen that each of the power units 10, thatcomprise a part of the gasoline engine, consists of a pair of opposingcylinders that are in axial alignment so that-the pistons in thecylinders an reciprocate in unison in a manner that one of the pistonswill be at the bottom of its stroke whenthe opposite piston is at itstop stroke. one cylinder produces motion of the piston in the oppositecylinder to carry operation. lhe rotatable member t2 provides theflywheel necessary to carry the pistons over the portion of the cycle oioperation that doesnot comprise the power stroke. By providing a powerunit with opposed power producing members therein amore uniform balanceof the engine can be obtained. Also, it is possible to avoidalleecentrically movable parts and thereby reduce unbalance of partswithin the engine.

Inorder to'change'the reciprocating motion=of the connecting rod 23 intorotary motion for driving the drive shaft H, a piston 33 is slidablydisposed within a cylinder bore 3| provided in the rotatable member l2.The piston Wis-suit ably secured to the connecting rod 23 and is adaptedto reciprocate axially within the cylinder bore 31-. The piston 30,however, is prevented from rotationrelative to'the' connecting rod 23,and the connecting rod 23 is prevented iromr'otation upon itsaxis-because the rod 23 is prefer ably of a square shape adapted toslide in s uareshaped bearings 25 and 26a provided in the end walls 24and 24a ofthe cyliiiderslfi and I50: re-' spectively.

The piston member 30' is shown in more detail in Figs. 3 and 4 andconsists of a cylindrical member 32 that is positioned within a'bearingshaft or sleeve 33 provided at a: right-angle to the axis of the piston30.. The cylindrical mem ber 32 is adapted to rotate within the bearingsleeve 33 in a manner that will be hereinafter described. Thecylindrical member 32- car-ries a pair of cylindrical members 34 and3'5- that have their axesparallel to the axis of the" member 32 andspaced therefrom as shown in Figs. Band4. The members 34 and 35 areadapted to rotate Within the member 32 for reasons which will becomeapparent in the subsequiitdescription':

The cylindrical member 34 is provided wanes extension 36 on both endsthereof that'is provided with parallelsidewalls -fl and 38. The es.tension 36 is also provided with a gear segment consisting of the gearteeth Wand 40-. The cylindrical member 35 is also provided canextens'ions" 4! provided on b'oth eii'ds thereof that; has parallel sidewens 42 that are in planar alignment with the parallel side walls" 311and 38v of the' ext'ensions 36 on the member 34. The ext'h-' siori 4| isalso provided with a-- gear tooth 44' adapted to engage the gears'eghient on the-ex tension 33 between the gear teeth 33' and '40thereof. This arrangement permits a it'ed rotation of the members 34and35'felati e-to dne another but retains the parallel side lls of theextension on't ese members-inplanar alignment in a manner that is he"matter describes.-

as previous y mentioned trie istoa 30 1s adapted-toreciprocatewithin thec inden?! vided in the member l2. The inner-surface of Therefore, the"explosion in.

it throfiglrits- (Eyele -of contoiir of the track'fi the cylinder 3| isprovided with a continuous groove or track 45 that receives theextensions 33 and 4| of the piston member 30. As shown in Fig. l thetrack 45 has the configuration of a figure 8, one track 45 beingprovided for the extensions projecting from opposite ends of themembers34 and in the piston 30. To more clearly define the contour ofthe track we can assume that the track begins at one end of the member iat the bottom thereof. The track 4 5- then prodeds" upwardly andforwardly in the cylinder surface 3! until the track has traveledhalfway around the cylinder at which time it will be halfway forward ofthe full length of the track, The track then proceeds downwardly aroundthe surface of the cylinder and forwardly until it again passes;haliway' around the cylinder, at which time the track will then be atthe opposite end of the member l2 and will have made one completerevolution of the cylinder 31. The return path of the track 45 is madein a like manner so that the complete path of travel therefore forms afigure 8 that is an endless path from one end of the cylinder to' theother, and in travelingthe length of the cylinder 31' from one end tothe opposite end and back again the pathhas made two revolutions of thecylinder.

It will therefore become apparent that when the piston 39-is movedaxially in a leftward direction in the member 12, as shown in Fig. 1,the extensions 36 and 4! provided on the cylindrical member 32 willtraverse'the' track 4-5 and cause the member l2 to make onecompleterevolution when the piston 30 traverses the member l2- throughone stroke of the piston 11 as produced by an explosion of gas withinthe cylinder iii. In making the power stroke just mentioned the pistonNa in the cylinder IBa will compress thegas within the cylinder i5a sothat the subsequent explosion of the as within the cylinder l5a willproduce a" power stroke of the piston Ha andr'et-urn the piston ifi'to'its initial position asshown in Fig. 1, andthereby produce asecond revolution or: the rotatable member l2. Therefore the member 12'will make two revolutions for each complete stroke of the pistons 17'and Ha, the complete stroke including both upstroke and downstroker Asheretofore mentioned the engine disclosed in Fig. 1 is a four-cycleengine and since'the'op eration' of such engines are well known, it isnot believed necessary to go into the "detailed functions-of theoperation of such an engine. Each of the power units ID' consist ofapair of pistons I! and Ila and are disposed around the drive shaft H sothat the axes of the cylinders l-B'ahd 15d are parallel with the driveshaft H". By properly timing the explosion cycle in each of tnepowerunits 1c it will be readily a parent that'- the arrangement of thecylinders sl'i'civ'viii'n' Figs. 1 and 2 will produce agasoline'e'n'g'ine of an eight-cylinder type. It is not necessaryneweveito have th'edr'ive'sha'ft "H parallel with the axes of the cylinders I51This dllve may tie-disposed or any other suitableang'le with spect tothe power units 19 and be suitably'gear-ed to" the gears l3 provided onthe rotatable members l2;

A's-- previously mentioned the" member 32 is r'otatabie' within thepiston- 31!, and the reason for this now becomes apparent because themember 32' is required to" rotate within the piston- -39 to permit theextensions 36 aridhfl reroute the F g the orbiter the member 3'2-beihg'constantly change d diiring then-livel er the piston 30 from one end tothe other of the cylinder 3|. Also, it now becomes apparent that themembers 34 and 35 must rotate on their axes because of the contour ofthe track 45 at the ends of the cylinder 3|, this contour being therounded end of the figure 8. To permit the parallel side walls of theextensions 36 and 4| to follow and engage the side walls of the trackwhen in the end sections thereof, the members 34 and 35 must rotaterelative to one another. However, there is a danger of the members 34and 35 having a tendency to separate and follow diflerent tracks whenthey pass over a track crossing which is shown in Fig. 6. In thisinstance the tooth 44 retains its meshing relationship between theteeth'39 and 40 on the extension 36 so that when the members pass overthe track crossing there will be no tendency for them to split thecrossing and thereby result in damage to the apparatus.

In Fig. 'I there is shown a development of the track 45 wherein thecomplete length of the track is laid out in a plane and the relation ofthe track portions to a complete explosion cycle is set forth toindicate the revolutions of the member l2 with regard to the portions ofthe complete explosion cycle. Considering the "piston 35 to be at oneend of the member [2 the extensions 36 and 4| engage the track 45 at thesection indicated with the letter A. One complete explosion cycle of afour-cycle engine, of course, includes two complete strokes of thepiston for each of the cylinders. Therefore, the length of the graphshown in Fig. 7 representsone complete explosion cycle which includesexplosion, exhaust, intake and compression. The explosion stroke of thecomplete cycle will drive the piston 30 to the opposite end of themember l2 as seen in Fig. 1 and thereby cause the member H to rotate onecomplete revolution. This path of travel is represented by the portion Bof the track 45. The return stroke of the piston I1 during the exhauststroke will produce a second revolution of the member I 2 as representedby the section C of the track 45. The sections D and E merely repeat therevolutions of'the member I 2 during the remaining intake andcompression strokes of the four-cycle operation. It may thus be seen inone complete explosion stroke of the engine disclosed in Fig. 1 themember l2 makes four complete revolutions so that there is a two to oneratio between the number of revolutions of the member l2 and the strokeof thepistons. The cam track 45a is like the track 45 but is displaced180 on the cylinder from the track 45 to receive the extensions on theopposite end of the members 34 and 35. v

In Fig. 8 there is shown a chart representing .the development of thetrack in the rotatable member l2 when the member I2 is given one rev-,

olution for each complete stroke of the piston, that is two revolutionsper complete explosion cycle. In this arrangement the track 46 for therotatable member I2 is arranged so that the end portion H represents thebeginning end of the stroke. To complete one revolution of the member l2for a single complete stroke of the piston, the piston must make acomplete down and up stroke so that the portion J of the track 46represents the complete bottom of the stroke of the piston and is onlydisplaced 180 from the starting point of the track. Therefore thecomplete track from the starting point H to the completion point Krepresents 360 or one revolution of the member l2 for a complete strokeof the piston.

6. The track 41 is provided for receiving the opposite end of the drivemember in the same manner as heretofore described but is displaced fromthe track 46. It is thus apparent that by changing the pitch of thetrack that any number of revolutions of the member l2 can be producedfor each complete stroke of the piston of the engine.

The term sinusoidal as used in this application, is not to be construedas limited strictly to a sine curve, but is intended to include allcurves having the general shape and contour of a sine curve whether ornot they confgm strictly to the equation y=sin x.

While the apparatus disclosed and described herein constitutes apreferred form yet it is to be understood that the apparatus is capableof substantial alteration without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and that modifications that fall within the scope of theappended claims are intended to be included herein.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is: K

1. An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston thereinfor reciprocation in said cylinder, said engine being characterized by amechanism for transforming reciprocatory motion into rotary motionconsisting of a rotatable cam cylinder, a piston cam followerreciprocable within said cam cylinder and driven by the piston of themotor, endless track means on said rotatable cam cylinder that spiralsfrom one end to the other and returns to close upon itself, and drivemeans extending from said follower piston in said rotatable cam cylinderand engaging said track to produce rotation of said cam cylinder uponreciprocation of said follower piston therein, said drive meanscomprising a rotatable member carried by said follower piston, andinterengaging relatively rotatable parts extending from said lastmentioned rotatable member said track. I

2. An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston thereinfor reciprocation in said cylinder, said engine being characterized by amechanism for transforming reciprocatory motion into rotary motionconsisting of a rotatable cam cylinder, a piston cam followerreciprocable within said cam cylinder and driven by the piston of themotor, endless track means on said cam cylinder that spirals from oneend to the other and returns to close upon itself, and drive meansextending from said follower piston in said rotatable cam cylinderengaging said track to produce rotation ofsaid cam cylinder uponreciprocation of said follower piston therein, said drive meanscomprising a rotatable member carried by said follower piston forfollowing the angular changes of said track, and a pair of rotatablemembers disposed within said last mentioned rotatable member forengaging said track, said pair of rotatable members having means forlimiting rotation of said pair of members and for retaining the same ina predetermined aligned relation.

3. A two-cycle internal combustion engine including at least a pair ofcylinders arranged in axial alignment and having pistons reciprocabletherein, connecting rod means interconnecting said pistons whereby theyreciprocate in unison, a cam follower carried by said connecting rodmeans, driven rotatable cam means associated with said follower andhaving an endless track thereon that spirals from one end to the otherof the cam means and returns to close upon itself,

for engaging

